Type-writing machine



(No Model.) 4 SheetS-She't 4. A

I. H. B; RICHARDSON.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE No. 292,854. Patented Feb; 5, 188-4.-

N. PETERS. mmwunm m w. wan-mm. D. c. A

To all whom it may concern.-

UNITE STATE PATENT OFFICE..-

HENRY B. RICHARDSON, OF AMHERST, llIASSACHUSETlS.

TYIPE-WRITING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 292,854, dated February 5, 1884.

- Application filed July 111 882.- (No model.)

Be it known that I, HENRY B. Rroimnnsolv, a citizen of the United States, residing at Amherst, in the county of Hampshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements inType-WVriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in type-writers; and it consists in improved typebearing devices and means for bringing any type'letter, at the will of the operator, to such a position that its impression shall be made upon the paper at the proper time'and in its proper place; and, furthermore, in improved means for providing in one machine several forms of type, either one of which may be employed continuouslyoralternately, and for causing the paper to be so moved' over the typeletters that the space provided for each letter shall be proportionate to the width of the lat-' ter; and in improved means to cooperate with said typebearin g and operating devices, whereby the proper impress of the paper upon the type is effected when the latter is brought'into proper position; the object being to greatly simplify the construction of. machines of this class, to provide improved means whereby several varieties of type-writing may be'produced upon a single line or in a single word, thereby affording improved facilities for emphasizing words. i

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure I is a front elevation, partly in section, without thev paper-carriage. Fig.

II is a side elevation, also partly in section and without said paper-carriage. Fig. V is a rear elevation combining said paper-carriage and also partly in section-said three figures illustrating a type-writing machine embodying my improvements. Fig. III is a plan view of thetable of the machine and certain detail parts. Fig. IV is a side view of the type-block, and Fig. VI is a detail view of said rack and the usual frame-work, supported by posts 7 on suitable horizontal bars,w, adapted to carry the paper over the type-block, the whole being actuated to slide on said barsby the weight and cord t and and having its movements governed by devices hereinafter described. The paper is carried on a roll, 9, or other convenient device, or may be held between ordinary compression-rollers.

The printing-characters w-in this machine letters, figures, &c.are arranged upon the sides of a type-block, h, said sides thereof being curved convexly, as shown in Figs. I, II, and IV. Said block 71., as herein shown, provides four sides, upon whichprinting-characters are arranged. It is obvious that they may be arranged upon one or more sides thereof. Said block it is pivoted in the machine to be rotated on its central longitudinal line, whereby either of its said convexly-curved sides is brought uppermost and the letters or characters thereon into proper position for printing. Said type-block is hung in a frame known as a gimbal-frame (herein designated by the letter D) by the pins or screws 6, which pass through uprights on said frame and enter each end of said type-block far enough to sustain it upon their points. A stop-pin, 5, passes through one .of said uprights,and is adapted to enter any one of a series of holes in have a free reciprocating movement therein,

and to its lower end is attached, by an ordinary ball-and-socket joint, the stylus z, of conical form, and provided with a suitable handle for convenient manipulation. Properly supported on frame A, under said stylus z, is the stylus-plate 0, having therein a series of perforations, o, of differing diameters or openings. Directly under the aforesaid stylusplate a is located the letter-plate d, which is provided with the levcr-posts e a e, pending from its under face. Saidposts are slotted,

as shown, and to each of those lettered a (lo-' cated near the outer edges of said letter-plate) are pivoted the ends of two parallel bars, a, and the opposite ends of said bars are pivoted in two posts, f, at the rear side of the machine. Springs a are placed under the ends of said posts 0, whereby said plate (I is carried upward against or toward plate a. The aforesaid arrangement of the parallel bars a provides supports for sustaining the letter-plate (Z under plate 0, with its surface in substantially the same plane with the latter, and allows said letter-plate to be deflected from said stylus-plate, springs a throwing the letterplate up, as aforesaid. A lever, at, having one end pivoted to frame A, at the front side of the machine under said plates 0 and (7, extends from thence through said slot in post 0 on plate (I, in which post it is so pinned as not to interfere with the free vertical movements of plate (I, and terminates at the rear of the machine. A hammer-post, 7), stands at the rear side of the machine, to the upper end of which is pivoted the bar a", which carries on one end the hammer 01, the latter being held centrally over the curved upper face of the letter-block h. The rear end of said bar a is hinged to the main part of the bar at 24:, thus permitting its extreme end to be turned upward, but to come to a fixed horizontal position when swung down, as in Fig. II. A rod, 11*, is pivotally attached to the end of said lever a, and is supported in a vertical position by passing through an arm on the hammerpost b. The upper end of said rod a" is provided with a hook, 25, to engage with the end of said bar a Thus it will be seen that if the letter-plate d be depressed rod n is drawn downward, causing hammer a to be lifted, hook 25 finally slipping off from the end of bar a and letting said hammer fall against the letter-block h. \Vhen springs a throw plate (I upward again, hook 25 strikes said hinged end of bar 01 turning it up, and in its return movement engaging with it, as before.

The above-deseribed letter-plate cl bears upon its surface at exposed points thereon, which can be seen through the openings 1; in the stylus-plate 0, letters corresponding to those on the faces of the letter-block h, and said openings 1; are made of greater diameter when they are to show such broad-faced letters as XV M, &c., than when exposing letters a b, &c. The stylus .c', as hereinafter described, is pressed upon plate (I, in operating the machine to write, and since said openings -v,of larger diameter, permit the stylus to penetrate farther through them, it is obvious that in the latter case the plate (I is depressed to a greater degree than when said stylus is operated through the smaller openings in the stylus-plate, and said greater depressions of said letter-plate are caused to effect such an amount of transverse movement of the papercarriage K as will insure the requisite room in the line for a wide-faced letter, in the following manner: A lever, 26, is hung in a horizontal position under the post 0, Fig. V, having under it aspring,27,to hold it up to the position shown. Said lever 26 is provided with a series of offsets, 28, (for which an incline may be substituted.) A rack-dog, 20, whose up per end is adapted to engage with the teeth on the under edge of rack s, is hung in frame A, and is capable of a downward movement through its connection with lever n" by rod 23, and a return movement against said rack by spring 22. Said dog has on it a horizontal arm, 21. A vibratory lever, 15, is pivoted to frame A. The upper end of said lever swings against a stop, 29, on said frame actuated by a spring, 30, attached to it near its lower end, and the latter reaches nearly down to said lever 26. On the side of said lever 15 at its upper end is arranged a sliding bar, 16, having an arm, 17, thereon, and pin 19 therethrough, the latter being adapted to engage with the teeth on the upper edge of rack s, and the former with said arm 21 on the dog 20. A spring, 18, draws bar 16 downward and keeps arm or pin 19 in engagement with the upper edge of said rack when said baris undisturbed. As above described,weight t tends to draw carriage K with rack s to the right, Fig. V. The dog 20 holds said rack from moving until the letterplate (I is depressed by the stylus z. The downward movement of said plate, when the stylus is operated ov er letters of ordinary width, does not bring the end of post 0 against lever 26 with force enough to move the latter bar. Said movement swings down lever n",and draws dog 20 away from rack s, and lets bar 16 slide on lever 15 to bring pin 19 into c11- gagement with said rack, and the latter and carriage K, with the paper 10, now slide along to the right until the lower end of lever 15 strikes the vertical side of the first offset on lever 26, when the motion of the said carriage is arrested. The upward movement of plate (1 allows dog 20 to engage again with rack s, and lifts pin 19 above the latter. \Vhen the stylus is operated over wide-faced letters, plate (I is so much farther depressed as to cause post a to strike lever 26, carrying it down so far as to permit the lower end of lever 15 to swing to the left against the vertical face of the second or third offset on lever 26, and permit a corresponding increased movement of carriage K, as required, by the width of the face of the letter over which said stylus was operated.

The inking devices in this machine consist of the ordinary ink-ribbons, and they are mounted on rollers 13 on each side of the letter-block h, said rollers being supported on shafts 14, which latter may be supported in any convenient manner from the frame A of the machine. Said ribbons consist of three or less, whereby one or more colors of ink are provided for use with the machine, and consist of endless bands passing over said rollers and across the upper face of the type- IIO the stylus-plate c.

block and back under the latter. Feed-rolls 31 may be adapted to move said. ribbons by hand or automatically over said type-block. The rollers 13 are adjustable on said shafts 14, to bring either of said ribbons 12 centrally over said type or letter-block h.

The operation of this machine is as follows: The gimbal-frame D, inwhich the letter-block h is supported, provides for afree movement of the latter when the stylus z is seized by the operator and swungto different positions over The ball-and-soeket-joint connection of the stylus .with the lower end of rod o permits the operator to press said stylus vertically through the openings 12 in said stylusplate, and against the letter-plate, when said rod stands at an angle or incline over said plates; and since the rod 0 is capable of afree movement within tube in of the gimbal-frame, provision is made whereby said stylus may be carried from opening to opening over the let'- ter-plate, centrally located or otherwise, and

. be'pressed against plate cl, as above set forth.

The arrangement of the letters on block h is such that when the stylus z is carried over a certain letter on the plate (1, a corresponding letter on said letter-block is brought directly under the hammer n, and the same letters on different faces of the letter-block occupy a corresponding position on all,.so that when writing, if it be desirable to interpose Italics in a line with other letters, it can be done by turning said block to bring its Italic-lettered face under the hammer, and so on, in respect to any other changes within the limits of the variety of letters borne upon the several faces flected by the stylus, hammer a is lifted and of said letter-block. Thus the paper 10 is placed under the hammer n, and allowed to lie upon the inking-ribbon thereunder, carriage K being moved to the left, so that the line of writing will be commenced at the border of the paper, as usual. The stylus 2, being grasped by the operator, is pressed upon letter after letter upon plate (1, the lateral move ment of said stylus being followed by the letter-block, as above described, to bring each letter under the hammer. As plate (Z is dedropped upon the paper, driving it with such a quick, sharp blow against the inking-ribbon 12 and the letter thereunder, so as to produce the impression of said letter clearly upon the paper.

The above-described movement of plate d, whereby the hammer was operated, was sufficiently preceded by the movement of carriage K (operated as before described) to bring the paper to a proper position over the letter on block h.

'Where it becomes desirable to operate one of these machines on a greater variety of typeforms than can be embodied in one letterblock, several of ,the latter may be provided for use with a machine, all being adapted to operatewith the other parts thereof.

What I claim as my invention is 1.' In a type -writing machine, a gimbalframe pivotally supported therein, a letterblock hung in said frame and bearing a series of printing-characters upon one or more surfaces thereof, and adapted to be rotated on its bearings, a hammer to strike upon said block, and operating mechanism, a movable letterplate bearing a series of letters and characters upon its surface, the stylus z, and appliances,

substantially as described, connecting said gimbal-frame and stylus, whereby the latter is permitted to be moved to differentpositions over the surface of said letter-plate and to be pressed thereupon and moved downward with the latter, combined and operating substantially as set forth. a

2. The stylus z, of conical form, a movable letter-plate, and a stylus-plate located over said letter-plate and provided with dissimilar perforations, combined and operating sub.

stantially as set forth.

3. In combination, the movable letter-plate d, the perforated stylus-plate c, the gimbalframe' D, having the tube m thereon, the rod 0, and the stylus z, substantially as set forth.

4. The pivoted bar a, bearing hammer n on one end thereof, the movable letter-plate d,

lever n rod a, and the stylus z, capable, by means substantially as described,of lateral and 9 vertical movements, and adapted to be pressed upon various parts of said letter-plate, combined and operating substantially as set forth. 5. In combination, the letter-plate cl, having the slotted posts 6 e thereon, the parallel bars a, and the springs a, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, in a type-writing machine, of a paper-carriage provided with the rack 8, having two serrated edges, of the stylus z, the stylus-plate 0, provided with dissimilar perforations, the movable letter-plate d, and mechanism, substantially as described, interposed between said letter-plate and rack 8, whereby the latter is allowed to move along to a degree proportionate to the defleetive movement of said letter-plate, substantially as set forth. v

7 The combination, with the movable table (I and lever n; and with the rack s, of the lever 26, the lever 15, the sliding bar 16, provided with pin 19, the dog 20, adapted to en gage with said bar, and springs 18,22, and 30, substantially as set forth.

HENRY B. RICHARDSON.

\Vitnesses: R. F. HYDE,

M. O. BUCK. 

